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Tutorial: Totes Big and Small

It seems like I’m always leaving the house with something…dinner for a friend, toys for my toddler, extra pair of shoes or who knows what. I usually grab a Bath and Body Works bag or a plastic mega-store bag but in the interest of looking less “mom-frump” (my term for how I often feel these days) I thought a nice set of tote bags would help me look a bit more pulled together. Here’s the first tutorial in the series on some different tote styles. Later I’ll do a second one on a version with a pocket and different handle straps.

You can scale the size up or down for whatever purpose you have in mind. I make two sizes generally. One is a small tote the same size as one of the paper Bath and Body Works bags you get at their stores. It’s great for a few toys, extra shoes, or even wrapping up a gift. The larger size is great for groceries, farmer’s markets, extra toddler clothes/toys when going out for the day, as a beach bag, for a change of clothes for the gym or whatever else you can think of. It’s about the same size as a paper grocery bag.

For this pattern you’ll need an outer fabric and a liner fabric. I like at least one of the fabrics to be a heavier weight to help the bag hold it’s shape a little better. All seam allowances are 1/2″ unless otherwise noted.

1. Small size: Cut 15″ squares from both your outer and liner fabrics with the center fold of the fabric at the bottom of the square. (If you do it this way, you’ll be cutting through two layers of fabric and if you were to open it up, you would have a rectangle of 15″ x 30″.) At each of the bottom corners cut a rectangle 2 1/2″ tall by 3″ wide. If the fabric you’re using doesn’t allow you to have the center fold at the bottom you’ll cut two rectangles from both fabrics 15″ wide by 15 1/2″ tall, and your corners will be 3″ square.

Large size: Cut 20″ squares from both your outer and liner fabrics with the center fold of the fabric at the bottom of the square. (If you do it this way, you’ll be cutting through two layers of fabric and if you were to open it up, you would have a rectangle of 20″ x 40″.) At each of the bottom corners cut a rectangle 3″ tall by 3 1/2″ wide. If the fabric you’re using doesn’t allow you to have the center fold at the bottom you’ll cut two rectangles 20″ wide by 20 1/2″ tall, and your corners will be 3 1/2″ square.

2. For the outer fabric, put right sides together then stitch up the sides. Repeat with the liner fabric.

3. If you have a raw edge rather than a fold at the bottom, stitch that together.

4. Create the bottom of the bag by stitching the corners. See below for photo detail. You’ll stitch all 4 corners (the 2 for the outer fabric and the 2 for the liner).

5. Your outer fabric and liner should now look like this and you can iron the seams flat.

6. Now flip the outer fabric right side out, then nestle the liner inside.

7. Now pin along the bottom of the bag on the front and back, but not the sides. Stitch along the edge with a 1/8″ or 3/16″ seam allowance.

8. Fold the raw edges of the top of your bag in 1/2″ and pin. Also, tuck the straps about 1″ down in between the two fabrics and pin in place. I used cotton webbing from JoAnns, and here’s a comparable strap on Amazon (affiliate link). But you could also make them out of a coordinating fabric. For the small bag each strap is 14″. For the large bag I wanted something I could carry by hand or over my shoulder so it’s 26″.

9. Now stitch around the top. Leave a 1/8″ seam allowance at the top and then sew a second seam 3/4″ down from the top. Then go back and put an X over each strap. Or if you don’t want to have to go back and do the Xs later, see the diagram below for the exact steps I followed.

10. Optional: If you want your tote to have a boxy shape, pin the 4 sides going straight up from each corner then stitch 1/8″ in from the edge like you did in step 9 around the top.

And now your project is complete!

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85 comments for “Tutorial: Totes Big and Small”

This is adorable, but I’m trying to make it and I’m totally lost. I got as far as step 1. I can’t see how these two pieces of fabric I cut (one for the bag, one for the liner) are going to make a bag. The 20″ square doesn’t seem nearly big enough… was I supposed to cut TWO squares out of each fabric??
What do you mean by the fabric allowing you to have a “fold” at the bottom?
I’ve never made a bag before, and I feel like a bumbling idiot. Can you help me?

Hi Dani, It’s totally my fault and not yours! I’ve gone back and clarified step 1 and I’ve also sent you an e-mail with more detail. Please let me know if I’ve helped or if any further additions to the instructons would be helpful.

Hi, I just stumbled upon your blog looking for a tote tutorial. This one looks awesome. Not too complicated! I was wondering what the finished dimensions are of both sizes of bags. I’m trying to make one large enough to fit all my stuff I have to take to church (so a couple binders, plus snacks, etc) Thanks!

OMG!!! I am not much of a seamstress, but I JUST made this and it is awesome!!! Your directions are absolutely PERFECT!!!!!!!!! I had signed up to take a class on how to do this and now don’t need to. I made one with a nylon lining and interfacing so it will stand up. I am going to be making myself these for the grocery store. Mine won’t stand up by themselves and that is annoying BUT THIS ONE DOes!!!
thank you sooooo much for posting this!!!

Oh I would put it up for all to see but it is just a black bag with black lining, nothing fancy. I just now made a smaller one that is pink with purple lining, again, no design, just plain. Thank you so much for helping me learn how to do this….

Hi Hanna, Glad you like the tote instructions! I don’t have this formatted for an e-mail, but you can just print the website (I just tried and it took 4 pages of paper) or bookmark the page to come back to later.

I just checked out your flickr photos and it looks so good!! It’s great to hear that the directions worked so well for you. I really appreciate the feedback and I’m glad the pattern been so useful. Thanks so much for sharing!

I’ve made these bags & they are SO easy! I didn’t do the extra stitching on mine for the edges. Great idea! After the first one I dame tho I started using an iron on interfacing to make them a bit sturdier. I would also sewa pocket on the front &/or one on the inside. Even made one with a little zippered pouch attached.

Wow! Thanks so much for posting this. I love how the bag stands up for you after you topstitch the bottom and sides and by doing so, securing the lining – great technique. I used a canvas weight for the outside and I am thrilled with the finished tote. My canvas was almost 60″ wide so I got two for the cutting of one! One step to note: Before you stitch your handles on, measure where you will be topstitching the sides so you don’t place your handles too wide. On the first one I just added the handles without consideration for the next step, so I had to angle the topstitching. Still looks great, just shaped differently, which is actually cool. Love the look and ease of these bags. Thanks again for posting this!

Super cute! I am going to make one this weekend! Love your blog. I am thinking that if you used a light weight plastic lined table cloth for the lining…it would work for carrying cold/frozen groceries that may have condensation. Just a thought..

This is also going to be my first bag. I saw your’s and got inspired! I have a question about cutting the big bag…. Should my piece of fabric be cut 20″ x 40″? I’m confused on what size I should be cutting my fabric and how many to cut.
Thanks for your help.

If you can fit a 20 x 40 square on your fabric, yes, you’ll cut to that size. Folded in half, it measures to 20 x 20. If you are using a smaller cut of fabric and can’t fit the 20 x 40, you can always cut two 20 x 20 squares and stitch them together at the bottom before you cut out the 3 1/2 corners. Hope this helps!

Wonderful tutorial on this adorable tote! I have been making purses for years but this one added a new and easy technique for a professional looking tote with the
topstitching that secures the lining. Thank you for this awesome tip!

Is there a general rule of thumb to follow when adjusting the size of the bags? I didn’t have enough fabric to cut 15″ out of so instead I cut pieces that were 13.75 x 13.25. My question is how do I calculate how much to cut the corners now?

I don’t have a specific calculation that I use. As long as you end up with a square at the corner you can cut whatever size you’d like! You can go ahead and follow the corner directions for the 15″ bag since your size is close to that, or size those measurements down by 1/4″ or 1/2″ on each side if you want. I hope that helps!

hello,
Loved this tote bag. I am a newbie to sewing; have never done sewing before and just started to learn the basics. I loved your tutorial. I loved the fabric you’ve used and would like to buy the same type of fabric from Jo Ann. What type of fabric is yours? I looked at some 100% cotton fabrics at Jo Ann today, they dont look as sturdy and crisp as yours…

Welcome to the sewing world! I’m glad you liked the tutorial. When fabric shopping, you’ll find that JoAnn’s has a big variety of their calico cottons and then they have a smaller range of their premium quilting fabrics. I purchased the exterior fabric for the bag at a local quilt shop that only carries premium quilting fabrics (and designs that aren’t available at JoAnn’s). The downside of the premium quilting cotton is that designs are often only printed for a short time and then discontinued. That fabric was from a few years ago and is no longer in print. It sometimes shows up on Etsy or ebay, it’s called “It’s a Hoot” by MoMo. I purchased the yellow interior fabric of the bag and the straps at JoAnns. I think the yellow fabric is a canvas or duck cloth. As long as you use a cotton for one side of the bag and a heavier fabric for the other side (like duck cloth, canvas, upholstery fabric, indoor/outdoor fabric, etc) it should be crisp and sturdy like the one in the photos!

Thanks for the details Mary. I’ll start to look for premium quilting fabrics. Also, I’ve started sewing this tote bag with the cotton fabric I purchased from JoAnn. I wanted to learn the basics of cutting the fabric and just learning to sew straight lol. It is taking me so much time just to measure the fabric to the right measurements but I’ve it all cut now. I plan to finish sewing this bag in the next couple of days and hope to send you an email with a picture of my bag

That’s great Meena, I’m glad you’re moving forward with it! I’d love to see a photo when you’re done. As for the premium quilting fabrics, I sometimes use them and sometimes don’t. I just wanted to explain why you’ll find some designs at JoAnns and different ones at quilt shops. JoAnns is a lot closer to me so I do use a lot of fabrics from there too!

Just finished my first reusable grocery bag using this pattern. Wow!!! The pattern is perfect and makes a very nice large bag. Thank you so much! Making several for our family to keep in each car because our city has just started a ban on plastic and paper grocery bags. Fun to make and so useful. Thanks again!

Hi Janice, The bird fabric was from a few years ago and is no longer in print. It sometimes shows up on Etsy or ebay, it’s called “It’s a Hoot” by MoMo. I purchased the yellow interior fabric of the bag and the straps at JoAnn Fabrics. I think the yellow fabric is a canvas or duck cloth.

I have been looking for a tute for a great bag to use for my groceries. Thank you so very much! This is exactly what I was looking for.

I would like to know if adding an interfacing would make the bag stand up better. My hubby bags all of our groceries and really likes a bag to stand up for him. I also wash my tote bags often so would this make a difference in the stiffness?

Hi Dori, I’m happy you found our tutorial! I haven’t ever made a tote with interfacing but it should make the bags stiffer. I’m guessing it’ll soften up some once it’s been washed but again, I haven’t tried it so I’m not really sure! If you give it a try you’ll have to let us know what you find out!

Hi, have just came across your great site and love this bag and great instructions! But I feel really stupid asking this question as no one else has when it says to stitch along the bottom edge do you stitch on the wrong side or on the right side like you do on the side panels? Really would love to try this bag as I am not an experienced sewer and have been put off other bag tutorials.

Love these tote bags!! I love your directions. You seem to write them the same way my brain understands things. I am off to a wedding out of state next week. I am going to make one of these as my gift bag to hold my special gift. Thanks for the inspiration.

Hi Carol, Thanks for letting us know you like the tutorial! The bird fabric is called “It’s a Hoot” by MoMo. It’s from a few years ago and is no longer in print but it sometimes shows up on Etsy or ebay. I purchased the yellow interior fabric of the bag (duck cloth) and the straps at JoAnns.

I just stumbled across your tutorial on Pinterest and I feel like I always end up reusing the bath & body works bags too! They are simply the perfect size! But I actually came across your pin because I was hoping to make some little Halloween tote bags to donate at my son’s preschool auction. I was going to try and wing it but then decided to go searching on Pinterest to find something a little more elaborate because other people will hopefully want to pay for whatever I make. (It’s a cooperative preschool and this is the big fundraiser each year.) Anyway, I love your pattern but the fabrics I’ve already picked out are very thin. So for the bag I was initially planning to make I was going to use two-sided iron-on fusible stuff to kind of make the fabric two-sided and also give it more strength. Does that make sense…? Any suggestions how I might be able to make that work with your pattern so I can use the supplies I already have on hand? TIA! ~ Jamie

Hello, I really want to make this bag. I’ve only been sewing for just over a year but I’m finding this tutorial hard to understand. Firstly how big does each piece of fabric need to be? And do I cut two 20″ in both bottom corners of each piece? I’m confused help.

Hi Tracy! For a large tote bag, fold your fabric in half and cut a 20″ square with the fold being on the bottom (so if you opened it, it would be 20″x40″). At the bottom corners (along the edge where the fold is) cut a rectangle 3″ tall by 3 1/2″ wide. Do this for both the outer fabric and lining fabric. Hope that helps!

For the large size you’ll need two rectangles that are 20″ x 40″ (one for the outside, one for the lining). As long as your fabric is 40″ wide or more, you would need about 2/3 of a yard (24″) for the outside and the same for the lining.

Hi Lindsay! I’m fairly new to sewing and made this as a gift for my brother. I used a denim on the outside and a red/white pattern for the lining, with red straps. To add a personal touch, I cross-stitched a simple monogram on one side. It turned out amazing, thanks for the clear instructions!